Canal towing mechanism.



Patented Aug. I9, I902.

3. W. WUUD.

CANAL TOWING MECHANISM.

(A ximiou' tiled. Apr. 21, 1902.

4 Sheets Sheet l.

(No Model.)

INVENTOH W/ TNE SSE S A fro/m5 y n45 mam PEYERS so. uHuro-unm, WASHINGTON. u. c.

No. 707,529. Patented Aug. I9, 1902.

S. W. WOOD.

CANAL TOWING MECHANISM.

(Application filed Apr.- 21, 1902.) (No Model.) 4 Sheets-sheet 2.

N R \N I E H\I a k R l i ii \x il I i\ -1 u m x I E Y 1 1 iv in;

I\ l I N n H E HI I ITNESSES: INVENTOR j/M MQQZ A TTORNE Y m: "cams PzTzRs co, VNOTQ-LITHO,WASKINGTON, n. c.

No. 707,529. Patented Aug. l9, I902.

S. W. WO0D.'

CANAL TOWING MECHANISM.

(Application filed Apr. 21, 1902.\

4 Sh"etsSheet 3.-

(No Model.)

WITNESSES: F INVENTOR Wfi. PM xwzu BY y MM /.///m. ATTORNEYS.

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Patented Aug. 19, 1902.

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(No ModeL.

NTTFD STATES PATENT; OFFICE.

STEPHEN \V. WVOOD, OF NEWV YORK, N. Y.

CANAL TOWING MECHANISM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 707,529, dated August 19, 1902.

Application filed April 21, 1 902.

To (07], whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, STEPHEN W. Wool), residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Canal Towing Mechanism, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to mechanism for towing boats on canals or slack water.

".lhere are several plans of boat traction known and in use experimentally or practically. The present invention is a development of that kind of traction apparatus in which self-moving motors travel on a fixed way and tow the boats in manner quite similar to the towage by animals, but preferably at a much higher speed. Provision has been made herein for gradually overcoming the inertia of a boat in starting which has heretofore been a difficult problem. Also provision has been made to overcome sudden strains on the machinery, which are known to arise sometimes from carelessness and sometimes from unknown causes.

The object of the invention is to produce a cooperative system of efficient and reliable suspended tracks and guideways,alon g which motors may run in opposite directions and on which the motors pass each otherwithout interfering; also, to make a guide-rail perform the function of guiding a motor and of holding a motor upon its traction-rail; also, to adapt the motor to the ways and rails so that motors may pass each other without interfering; also, to provide the motor-trucks with antifriction or guide wheels to bear on the guide-rails and also with antifriction or guide wheels to bear on the traction-rails;

also, to improve the gripping action of motors on the traction-rails; also, for improving the motors and tracks in various particulars, substantially as hereinafter set forth.

Figure 1 is an end elevation of a supportingpost and the brackets supporting the traction and guide rails and an end elevation of the motor frame and gearing, the tracks being shown in section. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of broken parts of a traction and a guide rail, showing the motor moving thereon, this being the motor on the upper track. Fig. 3 is an end elevation of part of a supporting-post,

Serial NO-103|929| (N0 model.)

traction-rail, and guide-rail in section, and motor with gears somewhat modified. Fig. 4 is a broken sectional detail of mechanism for controlling pressure of traction-wheels. Fig. 5 is a general perspective showing the arrangement of the system on a canal.

The letter A indicates a supporting-post. These posts stand upright on the side of a canal or body of water at suitable distances apart to permit the attachment of the rails. The rails are supported by brackets A and fastened to the posts in any convenient manner so that the traction-rails B and O are parallel. The upper rail B is attached to its brackets by bolts A or otherwise, so that the lower edge of said rail projects considerably below the face of its supporting-brackets. The lower rail 0 is secured to its brackets so that its upper edge projects considerably above the upper edge of its supporting-brackets. Both traction-rails are by preference rectangular in form. The guide-rail D is supported on brackets between the two tractionrails, and this rail projects both above and below its supporting-brackets. The three rails are thus preferably in the same ver tical plane and so firmly held as to maintain parallelism.

The posts A are of course held rigidly in upright position and the tracks firmly connected to the posts. The motor which runs on each track has a frame, which frame consists of outer and inner sections, the outer section, as F, being outside the tracks and the inner section, as F, inside the tracks, these sections being connected and rigid with each other and having bearings for the driving-shaft and the gearing, to be described. The frame is thus of such form that it cannot escape from the traction and guide rails, except at the end of the line or a break in the rails or where suitable switches are provided. The inner frame-section F of the frame is of such height that it cannot pass laterally between the traction and guide rails. Consequently no side strain can draw the motor from its guideway, except by breakage. The frame-sections are connected by suitable bars, as F extending through the space or passage between the traction and guide rails. To the shaft or axle R, journaled in said frame, is secured a traction-wheel. I, which wheel is drawn into contact with the edge of whichever of the traction-rails the motor may be applied to. The wheel I is drawn into firm contact with its traction-rail by means of gripper-wheel L, which wheel is carried on shaft or axle M, the ends of this shaft or axle being journaled in a yoke N, which yoke incloses the hooked extension F of the motorframe. Shaft M passes through a slot in the hooked extension F of the outer section of the motor-frame. A screw T passes through the end bar of this hooked extension, and a spring S bears on the yoke N, and consequently forces the gripper-wheel L into contact with the edge of the traction-rail with a spring-pressure. The traction-rail is thus gripped between the driving-wheel I and the gripper-wheel L, thereby producing the required friction to secure the necessary strong tractile power. By adjusting the screw T the spring-pressure of the gripper-wheel and motor-wheel on the traction-rail may be regulated. I

Although the motor-frames in Fig. 1 are not exact duplicates, they are reversible, so that the upper motor can be placed on the lower traction-rail, or vice versa, by changing the position of the motor. The frames are provided with guide-wheels G G, which guidewheels are carried by vertical shafts or axles arranged in recesses in the frames. As fully shown in Fig. 1, the guide-wheels G bear on the guide-rail, while the wheels G bear on the traction-rail. The purpose of these guidewheels in securing stability of position on the rails and relieving friction will be readily understood. The shaft or driving-axle R of the driving-motor may be driven in any suitable manner. In the upper motor of Fig. 1 I have shown this shaft provided-with a wormwheel 0, which worm-wheel is rigid with said shaft or axle H and is driven by worm P on shaft H. Shaft His driven by any suitable engine-steam, gasolene, electric, or what not. In Fig. 2 an electric engine V is shown con nected to shaft H. The shafts or axles R and their driving means are shown arranged in pairs; but the'number of axles or shafts and traction-wheels may be changed.

In the lower portion of Fig. 1 I have shown the motor as provided with a changeablespeed gear, which is a preferable form. The shaft R has keyed thereto a pinion 1, which pinion is driven by gear 2 on shaft 3,-said shaft 3 being the driving counter-shaft. The counter-shaft may be driven by a pitman connected to crank 4 or in any other suitable manner. The gear 2 is connected by a sleeve to a gear 6, and these gears 2 and 6 may be shifted lengthwise of shaft 3, as by a shifting-lever K, of usual construction. When shifted to the right in Fig. 1,the gear 6 engages with gear 7 on the shaft R, at the same time releasing gear 2 from the pinion 1. The driving-engine will now act with much slower speed on the driving-wheel, and this slow speed maybe used to overcome the inertia in starting a boat or train of boats. To increase the speed, the gears are coupled, as shown in full lines. As is well known, a tow of boats is liable to impose sudden strains on the traction apparatus whether the same be animal or mechanical. While a shifting gear, such as I have above described, may be used to overcome this difficulty by throwing the motor out of gear, provided the operator is quick enough, it is better that automatic mechanism be employed to yield to excessive resistance. Such a device is illustrated in Fig. 3. The motor-frame is similar to the frame shown in the lower part of Fig. 1. The shaft R carries two gears 9 and 10, each rigid with shaft R. The drivin g countershaft 11 carries a friction-disk 12, which faces a similar disk 13, secured to the auxiliary counter-shaft 14. This counter-shaft 14: carries a loose gear 15, engaging gear 9 on the main shaft R. Now when shaft 11 is driven, as by power applied to crank 4 or in other convenient manner, the friction-disk 12 is moved by lever K into contact with disk 13, and the shaft R will then be driven through engagement of gears 15 9, as above described; but should the resistance be too great or should a sudden obstruction occur, then the friction-disks 12 13 would slip on each other and the draft would be no more than the coupling power of these disks. back strain by a collision or from any other cause might then draw the motor backward, while the engine would continue to run in the same forward direction. To enable this form of motor ,to move slowly, a shifting clutch 17 is applied to counter-shaft 14, and this clutch may be shifted by lever K to engage gear 18 and disengage the gear 15. When this clutch is coupled with gear 18, the shaft R is driven through the train of gears 18 10 at a slowspeed. At an intermediate position the shifting clutch may throw all the driving-gears out of operation.

An excess of Shifting clutch-gears and frictional clutchgears are common and well known. I have devised no special improvement in these mechanisms.

From the foregoing it should be understood that the upper traction-rail B provides a track for the upper motor, and the lower tractionrail 0 provides a track for the lower motor, While both motors bear on the guide-rail D, as shown.

When the boats are to pass, the boat or tow connected to the lower motor stops or slacks speed, so as to let its tow-line sink in the water. The boat towed by the upper motor passes inside the other boat and over the slack tow-line precisely as when towing by animal power. The motors may, of course, run in either direction on either track. The motors being independent need not all run at the same speed. Any one or more motors may be held fast, gripped on its track, while another motor moves away from it along the same track or passes on the other track.

It will be understood that I do not generally limit my claims to precise constructions. The claims are of generic character and contemplate the employment of equivalent constrnctions.

What I claim is- 1. The combination, in canal towing mechanism, of supporting-posts, parallel tractionrails supported in a vertical plane from such posts, an intermediate guide-rail supported from the posts, and motors grasping the traction-rails, each motor bearing with guidewheels on the intermediate guide-rail.

2. The combination, in canal towing mechanism, of the posts, brackets extending therefrom, upper and lower traction-rails supported by said brackets, the upper rail extending downward and the lower rail extending upward from the face of their brackets, and an intermediate guide-rail supported by brackets, and having its edges projecting upwardly and downwardly in the direction of the traction-rails.

The combination, in canal towing mechanism, of three track-rails arranged in parallelism beside the canal, suitable supports for said rails, motors arranged to move independently in the spaces between the two outer track-rails and the inner rail, and separate towing connections from said motors.

4:. The combination with supporting-posts and upper and lower traction-rails, of independent motors on each rail, the upper n10- tor having a traction-wheel at one edge and a gripping-wheel at the opposite edge of its rail, and the lower motor having its traction and gripping wheels in reverse relation toits rail.

5. The combination with the supportingposts, and upper and lower traction-rails, of an intermediate guide-rail, a motor on the upper rail having wheels bearing on each edge thereof and guide-wheels bearing on the guide-rails, and a motor on the lower tractionrail with wheels bearing on each edge thereof and guide-wheels bearing on the guiderail.

6. In canal traction mechanism, the posts having upper and lower traction-rails and an intermediate guide-rail, motors on each traction-rail having wheels grippingboth edges of said rail and guide-wheels bearing on the outer and inner faces thereof, each of said motors having guide-wheels engaging the outer and inner faces of the guide-rail, all combined.

'7. A towing-way consisting of three rails arranged in parallelism on suitable supports, and independent motors arranged to run in the spaces between said rails, traction-wheels on each motor arranged to bear on the appropriate rails, and guide-wheels arranged to bear on the guide-rail, all combined.

8. In combination with the parallel traction and guide rails, a motor-frame having a section located so as to move on the inner side of said rails, said frame-section being of greater height than the space between the rails.

9. The combination in a towing apparatus, of posts having traction-rails and a guide-rail supported therefrom, a motor-frame having a section within and a section without the plane of said rails, and a hooked extension of said frame extending around the traction-rail, a gripper-wheel supported by said extension and bearing on the traction-rail, and guidewheels bearing on both rails.

10. A towing-way consisting essentially of three rails arranged in parallelism along a canal, independent motors arranged to travel in either direction in the spaces between the outer rails and the inner rail, and to pass in one space without contact with motors in the other space, separate towing connections from each motor, and means for driving the different motors at different and variable speeds, all combined. I

11. In a towing apparatus for canals, suitable supports alongside the canal and a plurality of traction-rails at different elevations on said supports, motors independently driven along said traction-rails, means for gripping each motorto its rail, means for towing a boat or boats leading from each motor, and means for regulating the speed of each motor independently of the speed of any other motor.

12. The combination,in canal towing mech anism, of an upper and a lower traction-rail, suitable supports therefor, independent motors traveling and moving in said rails on different horizontal planes, and tow-lines extending from the motors, so that one tow can pass over the other line.

13. The combination,in canal towingmechanism, of traction-rails arranged in different horizontal planes, independent motors m0vin g along said rails, tow-lines extending from the motors so as to pass as described, and gripper mechanism by which the motors can be made to grip their respective rails.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

STEPHEN XV. WOOD.

WVitnesses:

W. A. BARTLETT, CHAS. K. DAVIES. 

